I have previously used a Steve Kiddle gas cape and these were spot on it construction but not colour. His first run were beige and his second brown. Whilst I have heard of these colours being produced they were far from the norm... With plain green being the most prevelant (I have a camouflaged original but will no longer use it for events). I had replaced the modern press studs on Steve Kiddle's with original Neweys to complete the look.

The problem with the original construction of the kit is that original capes are soaked in linseed oil. If you hang them up, the linseed soaks down to the bottom of the garment... The garments were effectively disposable although in theory they could be handed in and reproofed I doubt this would ever be done. After a couple of years, the linseed starts to go tacky.

I removed the white tapes from my cape and the webbing loop and washed and bleached it out... I then redyed it green and I intend to use Barbour wax green spray to reproof it...

As an experiment, I decided to try a WPG cape and apart from the fact it smells so bad I am airing it in the garden, I am VERY impressed with it. I have again replaced the poppers with original Neweys and I've removed the WPG labels. I am very pleased with it...

If you're looking for a Gas Cape, I think the WPG one is the only option currently available... But there are no complaints from an authenticity point of view.

The Neweys are only $3 each from WPG and I bought a setting tool which works brilliantly.

As a lot of you chaps have done the march before, for the benefit of the newbies, could someone post a tutorial of the correct way to roll up and wear the gas cape in the ready position? I've seen something on the ww2 forum a long time ago but it would save a lot of searching!Cheers in advance!

Blitzkrieg - Obviously the respirator goes on first... The whipcord passing through the brass D ring on the bag... then up through the eyelet in the neck/shoulder strap... It's then pulled taught and tied through the D ring at the other side of the bag... This pulls the neck strap down in a 'V' on the back... And so the bag doesn't swing round the neck, it is effectively tied to the chest...

The rolled on gas cape is tied off with more whipcord... But the white tapes pass over the shoulders and down through the large 'O' rings used to attach the respirator bag to the strap... The tapes pass behind the wearer under the arms to the wearer's back and are tied in a bow...

Webbing is put on over the top of anti-gas kit.

I will refresh my memory on folding the cape and come back to you... But essentially it is laid flat out as if fastened but the poppers are not snapped shut... The idea is that there are two seams running down the back of the cape... The cape is folded over inwards on these seams... The folded cape should match the width of the small pack (12"?)...

The cape is the rolled tightly from the bottom up, keeping it rolled square... It is kept in the roll by a length of whipcord which is looped around the centre of the cape and tied onto a respirator O ring...

On tugging the whipcord, the cape is released and can fall down the back, the tapes tied to keep it in place...

The tapes, as I recall, are not used to roll around the rolled cape for the 'alert' (BEF) position...

I'll try to upload some images to help... Also I'll try to give lengths for the whipcord etc for the cape...

Verne asked if the tapes on the WPG cape are shorter than an original. The answer is yes, they are, by a considerable 10"... It may be a disadvantage for the larger lads who want to tie the cape in the 'alert' position...